Sports betting operations still a few weeks away in PA

As the PGCB issued two operation licences, it revealed that there are still a few weeks before bets get actually placed in the state.

US.- The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) approved two sports betting licences for the Parx Casino and for Hollywood Casino but said the segment still needs a few weeks before operating. The regulator explained there are still a few regulatory and financial hurdles that must be cleared before anyone makes the first legal, commercial bets on any sporting event besides horse racing.

“It’s not going to be an immediate turnaround,” PGCB spokesman Doug Harbach explained. The permits weren’t expected to be approved on Wednesday and, even as they were, the regulator will need to conduct on-site inspections of the sports books, as well as the payment of all the required licensing fees.

“After a period of testing both by PGCB as well as the property, we hope to have the sports wagering facility operating within the next couple of months,” Daniel Ihm, Hollywood Vice President and General Manager, said. He also explained that, at the beginning, the segment will solely operate through six new betting windows in the casino’s sportsbook where it’s already simulcasting races from other horse tracks.

After the Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), sports betting was cleared to be legalised nationwide and, so far, Delaware, Mississippi, New Jersey, Nevada and West Virginia have launched operations. It is only a matter of time before the segment takes over the country as there are still a few more states discussing the segment’s legalisation for the near future, while others take a more slow approach on it.